Become Useful

The basic idea of being a Hero is the concept of being useful.  Bottom line, every person that gets labeled a hero is someone who was useful to someone else. "Heroic Doctor saves child with disease", "Soldier saves 20 refugees against Terrorists", or "You saved the banquet by driving to pick up the cake, You're a Hero."  No matter how simple it is, being useful is paramount to heroism.

I train & teach Parkour & Freerunning.  One of the "tenets" of Parkour that drew me to the discipline is the idea of "becoming useful".  Don't just do Parkour cause it's fun to run up walls. Don't just Freerun because you like flipping over stuff.  Don't just work out so you can look ripped.  Use your strength to help others, train your abilities so that if the situation ever comes up, you can save someone's life.  This idea still effects how I train today.

Most comic book heroes are useful because they're knocking villain heads & saving kitties out of trees.  Most likely, none of us will ever exact vigilante justice on the wicked & most of us can't fly (to save the cat) either.  But we can all get a lot more useful. Being useful should be one standard we judge the everyday Hero by. 

David Wong wrote this inspiring idea a lot better than I have in his Cracked.com article: 

6 Harsh Truths That Will Make You a Better Person

Read it now.  Right now.

I'm serious.

I don't usually do New Years Resolutions.  I think they are stupid.  If you have something about your life that you need to change, change it.  Don't wait for the magically N.Y.E. resolution time to do it, Just Do It!  This however, is something I can get behind!  To a brighter future for us all!

BATTLE CALL: Flag Etiquette

This post has taken me a little bit to get out because I wanted to refresh my facts.  I have a Battle Call for anyone with ears to hear.  I've recently noticed more & more how people have no clue how to properly treat the Flag of The United States of America, the Flag of my country.  And by people I mean just about every establishment I see flying the Flag these days, from residential buildings to retail centers & banks.  If you can not do our country the honor of flying the Flag properly, THEN FUCKING DON'T!!!

Below is the Flag Code, copy & pasted from http://www.usflag.org/flagetiquette.html  Take the time to read it.  If you can't take a few minutes to read this, please leave the United States.  Youth used to be required to know this & I think every citizen should know it too.

Flag Etiquette

STANDARDS of RESPECT

The Flag Code, which formalizes and unifies the traditional ways in which we give respect to the flag, also contains specific instructions on how the flag is not to be used. They are:

• The flag should never be dipped to any person or thing. It is flown upside down only as a distress signal.
• The flag should not be used as a drapery, or for covering a speakers desk, draping a platform, or for any decoration in general. Bunting of blue, white and red stripes is available for these purposes. The blue stripe of the bunting should be on the top.
• The flag should never be used for any advertising purpose. It should not be embroidered, printed or otherwise impressed on such articles as cushions, handkerchiefs, napkins, boxes, or anything intended to be discarded after temporary use. Advertising signs should not be attached to the staff or halyard
• The flag should not be used as part of a costume or athletic uniform, except that a flag patch may be used on the uniform of military personnel, fireman, policeman and members of patriotic organizations.
• The flag should never have placed on it, or attached to it, any mark, insignia, letter, word, number, figure, or drawing of any kind.
• The flag should never be used as a receptacle for receiving, holding, carrying, or delivering anything.

When the flag is lowered, no part of it should touch the ground or any other object; it should be received by waiting hands and arms. To store the flag it should be folded neatly and ceremoniously. 

The flag should be cleaned and mended when necessary. 

When a flag is so worn it is no longer fit to serve as a symbol of our country, it should be destroyed by burning in a dignified manner.

Note: Most American Legion Posts regularly conduct a dignified flag burning ceremony, often on Flag Day, June 14th. Many Cub Scout Packs, Boy Scout Troops, and Girl Scout Troops retire flags regularly as well. Contact your local American Legion Hall or Scout Troop to inquire about the availability of this service.

Displaying the Flag Outdoors

When the flag is displayed from a staff projecting from a window, balcony, or a building, the union should be at the peak of the staff unless the flag is at half staff.

When it is displayed from the same flagpole with another flag - of a state, community, society or Scout unit - the flag of the United States must always be at the top except that the church pennant may be flown above the flag during church services for Navy personnel when conducted by a Naval chaplain on a ship at sea.

When the flag is displayed over a street, it should be hung vertically, with the union to the north or east. If the flag is suspended over a sidewalk, the flag's union should be farthest from the building.

When flown with flags of states, communities, or societies on separate flag poles which are of the same height and in a straight line, the flag of the United States is always placed in the position of honor - to its own right.
 

..The other flags may be smaller but none may be larger.
..No other flag ever should be placed above it.
..The flag of the United States is always the first flag raised and the last to be lowered.

When flown with the national banner of other countries, each flag must be displayed from a separate pole of the same height. Each flag should be the same size. They should be raised and lowered simultaneously. The flag of one nation may not be displayed above that of another nation. 

Raising and Lowering the Flag

The flag should be raised briskly and lowered slowly and ceremoniously. Ordinarily it should be displayed only between sunrise and sunset. It should be illuminated if displayed at night.
The flag of the United States of America is saluted as it is hoisted and lowered. The salute is held until the flag is unsnapped from the halyard or through the last note of music, whichever is the longest. 

Displaying the Flag Indoors

When on display, the flag is accorded the place of honor, always positioned to its own right. Place it to the right of the speaker or staging area or sanctuary. Other flags should be to the left. 

The flag of the United States of America should be at the center and at the highest point of the group when a number of flags of states, localities, or societies are grouped for display.

When one flag is used with the flag of the United States of America and the staffs are crossed, the flag of the United States is placed on its own right with its staff in front of the other flag. 

When displaying the flag against a wall, vertically or horizontally, the flag's union (stars) should be at the top, to the flag's own right, and to the observer's left. 

Parading and Saluting the Flag

When carried in a procession, the flag should be to the right of the marchers. When other flags are carried, the flag of the United States may be centered in front of the others or carried to their right. When the flag passes in a procession, or when it is hoisted or lowered, all should face the flag and salute. 

The Salute

To salute, all persons come to attention. Those in uniform give the appropriate formal salute. Citizens not in uniform salute by placing their right hand over the heart and men with head cover should remove it and hold it to left shoulder, hand over the heart. Members of organizations in formation salute upon command of the person in charge. 

The Pledge of Allegiance and National Anthem

The pledge of allegiance should be rendered by standing at attention, facing the flag, and saluting.
 

When the national anthem is played or sung, citizens should stand at attention and salute at the first note and hold the salute through the last note. The salute is directed to the flag, if displayed, otherwise to the music. 

The Flag in Mourning

To place the flag at half staff, hoist it to the peak for an instant and lower it to a position half way between the top and bottom of the staff. The flag is to be raised again to the peak for a moment before it is lowered. On Memorial Day the flag is displayed at half staff until noon and at full staff from noon to sunset.

The flag is to be flown at half staff in mourning for designated, principal government leaders and upon presidential or gubernatorial order.

When used to cover a casket, the flag should be placed with the union at the head and over the left shoulder. It should not be lowered into the grave.

The biggest misdemeanor I've seen with flags recently has been the act of flying the Flag at half staff for no apparent reason.  I see Old Glory being flown at half all the time, without cause, & it's really starting to hack me off!  No Presidents died, it's not memorial day, & I haven't heard any orders from our country's Commander & Chief!  If you didn't know, people have died for this Flag & everything it stands for!  Some people say the red in the Flag represents the blood of patriots.  Even if you don't agree with everything that happens in this country, respect the Flag out of respect for the soldiers who have fought for your freedom.  

So here's the Battle Call, if you choose to accept it, if this mistreatment bothers you like it does me.  Print out a few copies of the above Flag Etiquette instructions, either from the website I previously listed or by copying & pasting them into your own word document.  Put these instructions in your car so that whenever you see the Flag being flown at Half Staff incorrectly, or otherwise abused, you can tape these instructions to the Flag pole in question.  I'm not asking for anyone to have foul words with the owner of the abused Flag.  I'm just asking you to help me re-educate those who fly it.  Thanks for reading!

HERO MAINTENANCE: Inspiration

Heroes are the bright lights of the world, the lamps in dark places.  Being positive & upbeat is often enough to make a difference in the lives of those around you.  

Now, when I say "being positive" I'm not talking about the fake face of positivity we plaster on to meet the world. "Fired Up Buddy!"  "Yeah, I just had a fight with my wife & my car broke down! Life is Good!"  "It took me a half-hour to get out of bed because I'd rather shoot my self then face another day at this office but I'm excited!" "Awesome! Couldn't be better! I haven't made a sale in 2 months! Business is booming! Fired Up!" 

I'm talking about deep down, honest to goodness, positive belief structure.  The true "can do" attitude.  The mindset that sees not limitations but opportunities, not walls but the buildings blocks of future success, not set backs but adventures!  This way of being cannot be faked & speaking all Fired Up! to convince everyone else you are positive doesn't work either.  It's in the core of you.  A true, positive outlook is often something others can feel without you saying a word.  One person described it as "What walks in the room before you do."     

Now, have you ever tried to be this sort of positive all the time?  I'm sure you have.  I am also sure you've come to realize how taxing this way of being can be, especially in our American culture.  Cynicism is the way of humor in our culture.  Speaking an inspiring word to someone can often get you the "stink-eye" look from them.  When everything around you is critical & down-turned it's way to easy to be critical of everything yourself.

  

Then there's Life, that unrelenting wench of bad circumstances who likes to trip you up, kick you when you're down & laugh while she's doing it.  Oh the pangs of circumstance!  How can you keep yourself positive in such environments?  How do you keep your light burning bright?

You can't.  At least not by yourself.  

Every human has their limitations.  Every rock solid hero needs to be inspired & rejuvenated.  I don't care how amazing the hero is, they are not a perpetual motion machine that never runs out of juice.  We need inspiration.  A definition for Inspiration found on Dictionary.com is: 

     World English Dictionary

      inspiration  (ˌɪnspɪˈreɪʃən) — n

1. stimulation or arousal of the mind, feelings, etc, to special or unusual activity or creativity
2. the state or quality of being so stimulated or aroused
3. someone or something that causes this state 
4. an idea or action resulting from such a state 
5. the act or process of inhaling; breathing in 

Solid inspiration is not just warm fuzzies & cute kittens, it moves you!  It wakes up thoughts & stimulates activity!  It is the gasoline of your engine.  With out it, you stop.  Find things that inspire you everyday so you don't stop in the tasks you hope to accomplish.  Maybe it's music, a file of YouTube vids, a selection of writings & poetry that moves you.  Whatever gives you that breathe of fresh air, hold on to it like a lifeline.  Remember, you cannot inspire others if you are down & out yourself.  To make the analogy that life is an airplane you need to get your breathing mask on before you can help anyone else with theirs. 

This video I saw on Facebook has so inspired me: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=535184355831 Maybe it can be an inspiration to you too.  It's never too late to start again.  It's never to late to get up one more time.  No matter who tells you you are done, it's not over until you give up.  

Mini Rant: Parkour Martial Arts

I'm not sure if I can call this a rant as much as a spewing of some of my opinions.  I'm not angry in this situation, I just have some thoughts.  Be forewarned, this post is for my Traceur following (Traceur: one who practices Parkour & Freerunning) & will make little sense if you are not part of the Parkour world.  Please feel free to read on any way though. 

I've heard many an aspiring Traceur say "What if we made a Parkour Martial Art?!" thinking that combining two of the coolest things they know into one couldn't get any better.  I admit I've wondered the same, having study Martial Arts through out my life & Parkour actively for about 6 to 7 years.  Also, when I talk about martial arts with this blog post I am assuming that the theoretical Parkour Martial Art in question is a "standard self defense" martial art & not a "I'm a homicidal maniac, interested in killing random people" martial art.

I believe I understand the desire to combine martial arts with Parkour, at least some of the desire.  Parkour is a very focused discipline with a need to train in it daily, much like a martial art.  Parkour also gets Traceurs to move with intention as well as gain a heightened control over their body, much like martial arts.  However their are a few issues with designing a Parkour-Fu.  

Parkour is about efficiency of motion, finding the most direct route over obstacles & using only your body & the environment to do so.  At its basest form, Parkour could be considered evasion (or pursuit) & is thus engaging a different skill set & mindset than martial arts.  If nothing else Parkour takes up a different need for space (the average fist fight might cover as much as a 15-foot square area where as the average Ninja Warrior course is quite a bit larger & some would call American Ninja Warrior a short course). 

I've heard some people say that Parkour is using the flight instinct & thus could not be combined with the fight instinct.  From what I've seen of Parkour practice, no one ever engages the flight instinct in Parkour.  We are not animals who operate only on instinct.  We are cognizant beings who think through situations.  No Traceurs I've met train by slapping a police officer & seeing if they can out run the officer.  Traceurs (should) train like any high-level athlete. The idea of fight vs. flight instincts making a Parkour Martial Art impossible are unfounded. 

More logical than instinct is the practical side of the motions.  Unless you are planning on jumping over or down on to an unsuspecting enemy, the motions of Parkour are not useful in a fight.  There's just too much movement required & too much lead up to any Parkour move for it to be effective in a fight.  If somehow your enemy does not know you are coming & does not hear you run up toward them, jump off of the wall next to them, then of course a crazy Tic-Tac jump kick to the face could work!  But there's a lot that could go wrong with that plan.  Also I would not call this move (even if it worked) an effective move for a fight situation.  For a sneak attack maybe. Not a move for a fight.  (Like I said early, we're assuming this is a martial art of self defense & you're not running around murdering people.)

That all being said, the two can benefit each other remarkably.  Since I've been training Parkour I've noticed an improvement in my speed & endurance in martial arts.  If I had not trained martial arts I'm not sure I would have picked up some of the Parkour techniques as quickly.  Parkour is a great way to condition your body in ways I find lacking in the modern martial arts dojo. Martial arts is a great way to cross-train & work on some stabilizer muscles.  Generally I've found that the more you study motion, in it's various forms, the better at motion you get.  Kind of like the more you study different subjects, the broader & sharper your mind can get.  The two can work together in harmony (as the below YouTube Vid will show you).  

(Notice he is not fighting he's running away & people keeping getting in the way of his feet.) I have no rights to the above clip so thank you to the YouTube subscriber 'movieclips' for supplying this clip from the movie "District B13".

Please stop trying to create a new thing & just get good at both Parkour & martial arts separately.  Simply put Parkour is Parkour, fighting is fighting.  The two are similar but not the same.  Let them be that way.

Distractions

Ah distractions.  Our world is full of them; let me rephrase: our modern world is full of them.  I understand now the appeal of typewriters to some writers, they're very NOT connected to the internet and email; and Facebook; and Facebook's myriad games.  And I seem to be a junkie to such distractions, despite my best efforts.  

But isn't that how life is?  We have these well meaning intentions & masterful plans of great deeds we mean to accomplish. Then life drops a fat distraction on us like a dive bombing pigeon.  I've heard it said: we are our own worst enemies when it comes to accomplishing our goals.  But it's not entirely our fault.  I mean, a recovering alcoholic knows to stay away from a Bar.  Our problem is distractions litter the virtual walls of the internet like water in a hurricane.  They're a little hard to get away from.  

Well here's me hoping I can get back to consistently writing, sans distractions.  I've got a lot of good stuff in me just waiting to come out!  So many ideas to talk about!  In fact I'm sure you'll see some of that in my next blog post.  Let me just. . .  go check on this one game . . . I'll be right back . . .

 . . . honestly, just take me a sec. . . .

Good Morning Blogosphere!!!

Hello Interwebs & Interwebs readers!  Happy (belated) Veteran's Day!  After a 3-month writing vacation I figure it's time to return to the keys.  My last 3-months have been fraught with unemployment & job seeking; joy of joys. That's one thing you never seem to see in the heroic movies: the hero's life stopping cause they're out of money.  Granted, people go to such movies to get away from the pains of reality so I know why such struggles are not included.  Reality kinda sucks.Any who, I am not dead, I've just been dead in the water with writing.  But I am back now.  Thank you for your patience :-) 

Yesterday was Veteran's Day as it is observed by the Banks & Government Institutions and so this last weekend I've seen a number of the "thank a Vet" posts across Facebook & the internet. This one, however, stuck out to me:  

                 

Adrian Cronauer, the actual radio DJ from "Good Morning Vietnam" said: "It was not unknown when I yelled 'Good morning Vietnam!' for some of the troops to turn to their radios and yell the GI equivalent of 'Get stuffed, Cronauer!' and on one occasion a guy picked up his M-16 and blew away his radio."

This Veteran's Day please thank the veterans you know for their sacrifices.  Also thank the veteran supporters: the family & helpers of the veterans you hold dear.  These supporters may have been one of the few things keeping your cherished veteran alive (or sane) so you could thank them. 

HERO MAINTENANCE: Fitness

One thing is certain with classic heroes, they are physically active, action stars in many cases.  But if you go out right now & try to perform a hero's feat, how likely are you to injure yourself?  Today's Hero Maintenance entry is aimed to help you answer the previous question with a confident "Not Likely."

I've said previously that a hero's modus operandi is a commitment to training themselves constantly, so they are ready for whatever life throws at them.  Physical Fitness, I believe, is an important part of hero training, but many people have a hard time sticking to it.  Why?  Because it's hard? or it's boring? or it's just too easy to get distracted?  Whatever your reason for not working out, the bottom line is you need to, unless the apex of your heroic deeds is slaying dragons in Skyrim.  

This post is about fitness more then skill set, so I'm not going to give my opinions on the best martial skills to acquire nor the benefits to improving your Parkour, combat driving, or goose juggling skills. (Some people juggle geese!) Specifically I'd like to encourage you to just move more, as a "step one" to heroic readiness.  You may already workout regularly or even be like me - addicted to it!  "Hi, my name is Logan. I am a Work-Out-Aholic." But keep reading, this concept might help give you a fresh perspective.

So how do you stay consistent & workout regularly?  One thought is make it fun.  If you're able to do something you love as a workout, you're likely to workout more often.  If you have a sport you used to do maybe see if you can get back into it.  If there's a sport you always wanted to do, see if you can get into it now.  You might not ever be an Olympian in it, but you will be healthier & happier.  

What if you don't give a rip about the workout games we call sports?  Try making your workout fun; no I am not insane.  One of the things that pulled me into Parkour was the way the Parkour mindset makes me look at simple things differently.  Instead of just running through the city streets, play a game as you run, like:

• Run the curb edges, trying to keep balance.
• Don't step on any cracks.
• Only step on asphalt.
• Only run on grass. 
• When running through a parking lot, only step on the paint lines that delineate parking spots (that will stretch you!)

Basically just think of ways to make a workout interesting & mentally engaging instead of torturous, long, boring, & horrid.  Perspective often determines reality.  Whatever you can do to help your self keep moving is better than "I'll do it tomorrow . . . "  You might regret the workout where something goes wrong but you ALWAYS regret the workout you don't do.

Interrogating Sequels

Hollywood, I have a bone to pick with you.  My big question of the day is:  Why do movie sequels have to be so much bigger & better?  I ask because I feel like many movies go painfully wrong & consequently loose following from poor attempts to make the story that much more.  Now, I'm not saying all movie sequels automatically fail, just a large number of them.  Too many sequels end up "larger than life" in a bad way, loosing their viewers suspension of disbelief, and ending up corny instead of compelling.  I sight the following offenders as examples: Transformers (all of them), Die Hard 2 (the other Die Hards were cool), Star Wars (wavered with the first two sequels, takes an all out nose dive with Episode 1 through 3), Indiana Jones & the Temple of Doom (I know it takes place before the other Indiana Jones films but it was produced after.  Can we just forget it ever existed?), The Next Karate Kid (give it up), Conan (all of the sequels somehow got cheesier?), Speed 2 (really? you didn't get enough heart pumping racing & explosions in the first one?), Friday the 13th (will it ever end???), Weekend at Bernie's II (dead people just aren't that amusing, unless they're actual zombies), and Batman & Robin (what wasn't made out of rubber in that film?)

Honestly, getting bigger each time only works in Dance movies; kudos to the Step Up series!  Hollywood, take a note from TV shows - progression in a character's story is much cooler than ever-inflating epicness :-P  And while I have your attention Hollywood, STOP REBOOTING THE SAME OLD STORIES!!!  There are plenty of us writers with neat ideas just waiting for an opportunity!  Please get off your couch & look.  

Sincerely, 

Hero Hearted

A Hero's Best Weapon

22nd July 2012 - "A Hero's Best Weapon"

I've been struggling with writing this post for a couple days.  The Batman Shooting rocked the country on Friday morning and we're still recovering, especially residents of Colorado like myself.  Hero-Hearted blog is for supporting Heroes, so I felt the need to post something in response to such an appalling, villainous attack.  My heart goes out to the victims & the families.  May God give you peace!  

Without a doubt, the Batman Shooting was performed by a Super Villain.  A Villain may act when an opportunity arises: rob a convenience store, kill out of jealous passion, etc.  This attack, however, was premeditated.  Premeditation or meticulous planning is the M.O. of a Super Villain.  People weren't killed because they got in the way of the villain's plan.  No, the shooter went in to kill.  Plain & simple.  

It's a scary situation because the shooter's attack caught people blindsided, right when they're trying to escape the world through a heroic movie.  I've seen a lot of people reacting to the shooting with fear & anger and I can't blame them.  Some are calling for more gun control while others are running for a Concealed Carry Permit.  I can't blame either action directly but neither can I condone them.

To the Gun Control mindset, this shooter got his weapons through whatever means he could.  If he had no legal access to guns he could have gotten them illegally.  The shooter could have done as much or more harm with a wicked combination of household chemicals; think about Timothy McVeigh.  The truth is, the only way to stop people from hurting each other is to lobotomize society, which is a horrible thought in itself.

To the Conceal Carry mindset, are you willing to take a life?  More importantly, can you live with yourself if you pull a weapon in a similar situation & you miss, taking the life of an innocent bystander?  Getting a Concealed Carry Permit allows you the ability to carry a weapon but it doesn't teach you how to keep your head in a high stress, combat situation.  It doesn't teach you how to deal with a no visibility, scream-filled chaos, with all the pressures that come in a real-life situation.  If you're not willing to make the lifestyle choice to train daily with your weapon, in & out of high stress situations, then for you there may be more harm in carrying then not.

To both mindsets I have a suggestion: train your awareness.  In the my years of martial training I've learned that the most important weapon you can have in your arsenal is a fine-tuned awareness.  If premeditated, meticulous planning is the M.O. of a Super Villain, then daily, meticulous training is the M.O. of a Super Hero.

The victims were caught off guard & in total disbelief.  If one person was a little more aware in the theatre it might have made the difference.  I've heard it said that a real-life street fight, where there are no rules, last on average only a few seconds.  Seconds are often the difference between life & death.  Awareness can give you those seconds.  If one aware person could have alerted people, slowed the shooter, or maybe even stopped him, could that have saved one more life? Could that have made the difference for a few people?  A dozen people?

We could debate back & forth for the next month on how the Aurora shooting could have gone differently but that is all hind-sight.  Hind-sight is always 20/20.  What can we do now as good people to help avoid these horrid situations in the future?  Get Aware.  Notice the small things around you.  Do not ignore the tickling thought in the back of your mind when something doesn't look right.  Awareness is a skill, train it daily in everything you do.  In boxing, the knockout punch isn't always the hardest punch, it's the punch you don't see coming.  Awareness can make the difference.  

Let us never forget this detestable tragedy for the right reasons.

PS: Mass Media - please treat this atrocity the right way.  Help people remember it for the right reasons, to honor & morn the lost.  DO NOT give attention to this psycho.  The last thing the world needs is a copy cat.  Mass Media, you have the power to make a difference. Choose right.

Courage Pledge Follow Up

18th July 2012  "Courage Pledge Follow Up"


So I challenged all of you, my readers, to be Courageous a little over two weeks ago (see it here).  How is it going readers?  Any fun stories?  I've got one:  


I went out for a run last night and by run I usually mean a Parkour run.  Here's a short YouTube clip of a what a daily training session might look like: 

Unlike a lot of Parkour videos out there, which feature an athlete's best abilities & skills, this one is a little more relaxed, a little more "everyday".  Thank you Parkour Generations crew. 


Anyway, I'm out for a run through an area I'm pretty familiar with when  I just so happen see a new combination I've never thought about doing before; & of course I have to try it!  It's a beautiful combination: from a run, I jump off of a wooden bench to land on top of a wall.  The wall is about neck height on me and about 6-7 feet from the bench.  In between the bench & the wall is a massive bush.  If I don't make it's gonna be a nasty mess to get out of.  But no problem, "I've got this!"


"Oo, the bench is a little shaky, creaky. . . 
No Problem, I'm good . . ."


<5-minutes later>


"I've got this. . . " thinking to myself how much the bush behind the bench looks like my spiky doom.


<5 more minutes>


"Um . . ." I realize I'm checking the time, looking around, thinking about other things. "Come on Logan!"  Back on track now, I force myself to work through a small jump, just to get moving.  

I've heard it said, Action Cures Fear & standing around, thinking about how things can go wrong definitely ensures failure.


A minute later I work up to attempting the jump with out a run, standing on the back of the bench.  (Because somehow jumping from a stand still, where the lack of momentum makes it harder, is less scary then jumping from a run.) Well I stick the jump no problem!  A minute later I'm accomplishing the jump, with a run, like it was nothing.  Afterwards I'm feeling great for accomplishing!  I'm sure that the next time I go to that place the jump will be like nothing.


Isn't it crazy what little things get in our way?  I think of myself as being pretty strong willed & fearless.  Yet, when I come up against an uncomfortable &/or scary situation I'm amazed at how easily I get caught up in what "could happen" but probably won't happen.  It's kinda sad how often I have to discipline my mind through these little moments.  

Come to think of it, I have to work on choosing Courage daily.  We all do.  I recently heard a minister say: "Fear is not the truth. It's just the truth of how I feel." Little daily decisions define us.  Will I be crippled by my feelings or conquer my fear?


So, Anyone else have a triumph to share?

What makes it Super?

16th July 2012 - "What makes it Super?"

I've been thinking for a while what makes a Super Hero (or Super Villain) Super?  Why aren't they just Heroes & Villains?  You might think, like I have, that it's super powers that make the Hero super.  But I've discussed previously that there are many comic book Super Heroes that have no super powers (Batman, Punisher, etc.)

Before we go too far lets define what Super is.  As an adjective Super means of the highest degree, of an extreme or excessive degree, or of a first degree - as in very good & first rate. Effectively Super Heroes & Super Villains are the best in their fields.  

Well maybe, like Batman & Punisher, the Super Hero is super good at a skill set?   That may be the case with many heroes but it's not what I'm going for here.  (However, I think aptitude is an important ingredient.)  Specifically, Super Heroes & Super Villains have a track record that puts them ahead of others in their field. If I had to simplify it down to a sentence:

"Super Heroes & Super Villains are who they are because they actively choose, plan for, & cultivate the necessary attributes required to become the best Hero or Villain they can be." 

By now you must be wondering why I keep adding in Super Villains to the discussion; "isn't this the Hero-Hearted Blog?"   Yes, you are in the right place.  The truth of the matter is being a Hero or being a Villain is very similar; being a Hero just takes a little more work.  Everyday each of us chooses whether to be a Hero or a Villain; sometimes multiple times a day we make this choice.  

• Someone comes to you with an embarrassing moment - Do you say the encouraging thing or say the funny thing that gets a laugh but mocks the troubled person?
• An old guy needs help carrying something - Do you stop & help or walk past pretending he doesn't exist, like the 3 people before you did?
• Do you choose the chips or the protein bar? 

You might say "But these are small things, they don't make or break being a Hero."  Little daily decisions define us. Who are you when no one you care about is looking?  

Generally, becoming a Super Villain doesn't happen overnight - it's a slow fade.  For many, the choice to be a normal Villain is easy, just choose yourself first.  And in many ways it's easy to choose the Hero's path when a moment of crisis arises, or if it feels good.  But this post isn't talking about Heroes & Villains, it's about Super Heroes & Super Villains.  This is about the little daily choices.  This is about making an active decision, choosing a side, planning for a future moment where you will need to be great.  What do you choose?  Who would you like to become?  

Actions become habitual & habits form your character which will ultimately determine your destiny.  Deeper at the root, what you think will determine how you choose to act & thoughts are just decisions; daily decisions.

Making the Hero/Villain choice is the easy part; living it is something else.  That's why the choice must be made everyday.  I hope you chose the Hero's path.  The world needs more Heroes.  Now, if you don't already know it, let me tell you first hand that you will fall down in your pursuit of being a hero.  Today I chose the chips.  But I have heard it said "A hero is the guy who gets up one more time."  Falling down does not force us on the Villain's path, staying down does.  

So I may never have super powers (but wouldn't that be awesome!) & may never be known for my heroics.  However, there is a Hero hidden inside of me that I can work towards being. I can choose daily to become a Super Hero.  Who are you choosing to become?

THE MONSTER CALLED FAVICON!!!

"THE MONSTER CALLED FAVICON!!!"
 

15th of Julius, being MMXII in the Year of our Lord. 

There is a minute monster in our midst.  A craven creature who lurks in the webbed corners of cyberspace.  This monster watches us all from nearly every location in the inter-webs; observing, lurking, calculating.  It is watching thee now & there is no way to escape it's glare & stay online!  This monster is called . . .

. . . the FAVICON!!!

I will tell thee where it is so thou too may stare the beast in the eye & know the Favicon for what it truly is!  Look up to thy web address bar, to the left hand side.  Dost thou see the little emblem?  That is the Favicon!  That 16 pixel by 16 pixel cretin of multicolored design!  The Favicon also lurks above it's address bar lair, nesting in thy web browser tabs where it can watch us with many different eyes!  

The Favicon, so named for being a Favorite Icon, is an elusive beast that is only caught by the best blog knights & website design wizards.  It prowls the web like a cyber rat, evading capture by the newest blog squires & design apprentices.  If thou desires the look of success that so many websites hold then thou too must pay the unknown price to this mysterious beast so that it may change it's look & wear thy insignia.  

I tell thee my tale of blight & pain so that thou may assist me in my quest, if thou art strong enough.  I have scoured the internet wastelands for over a week in search of the Sages of lost inter-web lore.  Many sages have I found who tell me their tales of Favicon capture & display, each with their own twist on Favicon capturing techniques.  However, it seems the creature has mutated in some unknown way, evading capture for my Blogger site.  

It may be that the Favicon was a beloved website pet of times past but I warn thee now, the Favicon is changing into an uncontrollable Beast!!!  It can evade capture from Blogger's template & layout augmenter mechanisms!  It hath also eluded the barbed trap of HTML coding!  I submit to thee that if this monster can not be reigned in soon, then there is little that will be able stop the beast from conquering all of the InterWebs!  All of our screens will turn to this:

And there will be no space for anything else!!! BEWARE!!! AND HELP ME SAVE THE CYBER WORLD FROM ULTIMATE PERIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(To translate into a more mundane version of speech, I can't figure out why I cannot personalize my Favicon image.  If anyone has any suggestions it would be greatly appreciated!)

 UPDATE!: I hath nearly captured the beast!  Now the dreaded Favicon flickers between this website's stock insignia & my own.  Victory is nearly at hand!!!

Villain Eat Villain World

11th July 2012 - "It's a Villain Eat Villain World"

There's a lot of wicked people in the world with a lot of there own personal agendas.  At least that's the way it seems. (What follows is going to make me seem a little crazy to the common eye & for that I apologize.  Let me assure you, I am normal as normal comes :-) Normal-er posts to follow :-D )

You hear conspiracy theorists talking about Shadow_Governments, Secret_Societies (also see this) & Government Cover-ups all the time. Do you ever stop & wonder about the truth that they might be telling?  I don't put a lot of stock into all the conspiracy stuff.  However, something has to be said for the theme, since it works it's way into many popular movies & shows.  Even some of the events reported in the daily news make you think there has to be a Super Villain (or a few) pulling strings somewhere.  For instance, look at this: 

I don't advocate stealing in any form but this is ridiculous.  No, this is absurd!  A Homeless Guy steals $100 & returns it with an apology, turning himself in, & gets 15 years.  In contrast the a fore mentioned CEO gets busted in one of our country's biggest corporate frauds & he gets a couple year slap on the wrist.  The saddest part is, this isn't an isolated case either.  

Wicked plots happen all too often & major news channels only report about some of them.  Then there are organizations like wikileaks.org which have helped to expose a number of dung heaps hidden behind many "big name" companies & people around the world.  If you've read any of the stuff on their you might wonder . . .

                . . . with this many schemes & schemers, how often do two villains cross paths?

I imagine a few wicked plots have to clash at some point.  So if the world can be seen through the eyes of a story, how often do two villains just wreck each other? Isn't that an interesting thought?  What would happen if a "real life" version of Batman's the Joker ran into Star Wars' Darth Vader?  Or Hannibal Lector from Silence of Lambs had to go toe to toe with the Wicked Witch of the West from the Wizard of Oz? 

That would be great if evil started chipping away at itself.  I believe justice will prevail eventually, but wouldn't it be sweet to see it happen?